Goldberg: Psssst … the recession is over

Are you buying into what CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times and almost every other media outlet are sending your way? Are you buying into the gloom and doom? Are you seeing the Grim Reaper, with his scythe, walking a step behind you and your career? Or, are you looking for the positive signs that things are starting to improve? Are you observing that the turn seems to have started for many? Are you looking for, and finding, the abundance of opportunities out there just waiting for you? The choice is up to you!

Several years back a friend and business associate, Jeff Keller, wrote a book titled, “Attitude is Everything!” It’s a great read and I highly recommend it, but I do take exception with the title. Attitude isn’t everything, but it is a lot! You see, things aren’t always as they seem and the way we view the world around us, in great part, creates our everyday experiences. The way we look at things, and our attitude about them, actually creates our reality.

Let’s use my favorite networking group, American Business Associates (www.aba-ny.com) as an example. Every two weeks I meet with a group of fun, interesting and talented local businesspeople for the purpose of helping each other grow our businesses. We get to know and trust each other, share intelligence about who we know, what we’re working on and what we need. Between 18 and 30 people attend each meeting and each introduce ourselves, give our brief commercial and often share what’s happening for us currently. We refer each other business whenever we can.

The interesting thing to me is that out of this diverse group, almost to a person they’re saying that business is very good to great! It’s not that they’re in businesses that thrive in a recession, e.g. – auto repair or alcohol sales. It’s not that they’re more talented than you or me, although they are extremely good at what they do. It’s certainly not that they’re lucky. No, to a person what sets them apart is they have the attitude that business is good for them, they expect it to continue that way and they take the actions necessary to make sure it does so. All of the people in this group have managed to keep a smile on their face, a laugh on their lips and a positive attitude that no matter what happens to the rest of the economy they will not only survive, they’ll thrive.

Try this on for size. When it rains you can choose to be upset or even depressed about it. Or, you can change your attitude to, “Wow, what a great day to sell! People will be in their offices, open to speaking with me.” It’s always your choice and it always makes a difference. What we expect to see is what usually shows up for us. I recently attended a 5-day seminar in California and we were shown, in example after example, that what we expect to see and what we’re thinking actually create what shows up for us as reality. If you expect more doom and gloom, you’re likely to get it. If you believe we can expect more bad news financially, it’s going to show up.

Am I saying that less-than-great stuff isn’t happening every day? Nope. Some people are losing their jobs. Some are losing their homes. Some are struggling to stay “afloat” in a sea of debt. It’s happening but it doesn’t have to happen to you. Some people who’ve lost their jobs have started their own businesses and are prospering. Some have lost their homes and are finding they’re happy to be free from a crushing mortgage. A universal law says that for each negative there’s a positive. Sometimes you have to look hard to find it but the other choice is to bask in the muck as you sink deeper into it.

“But Jeff, how do I become better at setting appointments with decision makers? How do I shorten my sales cycle?” you might be asking. There’s more of that coming in future columns. But unless you get your head (your attitude) on straight, you can have every technique at your fingertips and it won’t make a bit of difference.

Spend five minutes (or more) each morning as soon as you wake up “creating” your attitude for the coming day. Visualize everything going your way: meeting prospects that are happy to see you, shaking their hands after they say, “Yes, I want to do business with you!” Put a smile on your face as soon as you realize that you’ve left sleepy time and the day has begun. I do, and most who know me would tell you I’m among the happiest, most positive people they know. It’s a large part of who I am and any success I have. Does that mean everything goes my way? Nope, but I expect it to and suggest that a lot more does go my way because of my attitude and the expectation that things will continue to do so.

You and your attitude shape and create not only your everyday experience but your overall success in sales and in life.

Go out and make it happen! And be sure to let the rest the people in your world in on the secret: The recession is OVER!

Oooooooohhhh, I am gonna close my eyes and wish reallll hard that it’s all because of the negative vibes out there that all these people are out of work and poor, and that the government feels that the best way to recover from the biggest debt bubble burst is to get the country in more debt.
Maybe if we wish super duper hard with positive thoughts all the illnesses in the world will disappear too.
Please man, get back into reality.